This morning we’re tracking a US Navy ship, the USNS Kanawha (T-AO-196). The USNS Kanawha is a Henry J. Kaiser-class fleet replenishment oiler of the United States Navy in non-commissioned service in the Military Sealift Command.
The Kanawha is departed from Souda Bay naval station and is supporting other US / NATO vessels in the area (you can see in the red box an underway replenishment south of western Crete).
You have to remember that in this area NATO is conducting Sea Guardian operation, a non-article 5 maritime security operation aimed at working with Mediterranean stakeholders to maintain maritime situational awareness, deter and counter terrorism and enhance capacity building.
Among other vessels are participating in “Sea Guardian” two Turkish Navy Frigates Göksu (F-497) and Gökova (F-496). Therefore, presence of these two ships in the central Mediterranean Sea is not connected to the Libyan theatre (contrary to some news appeared on the media in the past days)
